Craving for Tomatoes
by gabster357
Summary: Continuation of Ch1 of my one-shot series Of Lightening and Lavender. Laxus hadn't realised that saving the damsel in distress would be so rewarding, or that she'd save him right back. LaxusXHinata
1. Chapter 1

Laxus was not one for displays of emotion or voiced heartfelt revelations. At one time, when he was young and innocent to the expectations that would soon after be thrust upon him, he was not afraid of bearing his heart for all to see. By his late teens however, that same heart had been buried somewhere underneath all of the self-doubt and male bravado he had accumulated over the years. His mother died in childbirth and his embarrassment of a father was too self-absorbed to ever be a good parent, so the responsibility was ultimately left to his grandfather Makarov.

The short man was kind hearted, funny and understanding, everything you would want from a loving grandfather and Laxus had stuck to him like glue. Makarov repayed the gesture by lovingly raising him as his own and showing him the ropes of international business.

Fairy Tail was a thriving trade company that primarily focused on trade, seeking out products from foreign lands and was known to accept people not based on their credentials but rather on their view on life and their sense of adventure. It was a strange strategy but one that worked incredibly well for them.

At first, Laxus was thrilled to be named as the Heir, but as time went by it became increasingly evident as to what the outside world expected him to be.

"Oh, hello you must be Makarov's grandson."

"Oh, yes I remember you know. Makarov's grandson right?"

"Work hard so one day you can run this company just as well as your grandfather."

"A strong company needs a strong heir."

"Aren't you Makarov's grandson?"

Laxus was no longer Laxus but rather 'Makarov's grandson' and the heir of fairy tail. It was a title many would give an arm and a leg for, though thinking back it did a young Laxus more harm than good. Feeling the pressure, Laxus moulded himself into what he though the heir should be - strong, powerful and intimidating. He had focused so much on what he had to gain, that he overlooked what he would be losing.

It was only now, a pen in one hand and a typed document in another, that he started to regain some of his lost humanity. It was not a thick document per say - only ten pages front and back - but the dotted line for his signature on the last page terrified him nonetheless. When he had first begun to secretly type this document himself, he felt excited and proud. For a while now, Laxus believed that only the strongest of his grandfather's company should prevail and truthfully the majority of the employees (or members as his grandfather insisted on calling them) didn't make the cut. So, to take matters into his own hands, he drafted a document which would eliminate the entire translation and scavenger departments. He had spent months reading through all the contracts that were filed for the start-up of the company and finally found a loop-hole. When the two departments were initially set up, they were not set up as departments in their own right but rather as liaisons which gave him, as the legal heir, the right to terminate them.

But the more of the document he wrote up, the more nauseas he started to feel and the less he slept at night. And who was there to comfort him? Who was always there to comfort him, as they grew up together?

The very people he was planning to sac.

Everytime the pen approached the page, his hand would start to shake and his pulse would start to race - not because of anticipation or excitement but because his heart ached and his head was screaming _this is wrong!_

Now the day had finally come and he wished he could take it all back. He wished he never wrote the damn contract, wished he never undermined his friends the way he did and wished he was never named the heir to begin with.

 _I can't - no, won't - do this._

He screamed as he threw the pen at the door of his office. He knew his Gramps had gotten wind of his plan and it was only a matter of time until he found a virtual copy of the document. This was the end for him - he had lost, in more ways than one.

So, like any rational human being he did what anyone in his situation would do.

He went to a bar to drink.

It wasn't like the company's bar - there wasn't any lively chatter, friendly fights breaking out or drunken sing-a-longs. Instead there was heavy music, dim lighting and the stench of sweat, but it was secluded and served alcohol which was really all he wanted. After finishing off two glasses of vodka, some takila shots and turning down three drunk girls and a guy who wanted to dance (not necessarily in that order), he payed a visit to the toilets. As he washed his face he couldn't help but feel as if he was staring in the eyes of a haunted man. With his blood-shot eyes and darkened eye bags, he resembled something out of one of those horror movies Laki would always make them all go see.

As he was making his way back from the bathroom, he was suddenly knocked backwards by a girl who came out of nowhere. She had pale porceline skin, darkblue hair and was sporting a pair of heals and a little black dress. She was a small, fragile creature who looked just as lost and disorientated as him. If he had come across her before this morning, he wouldn't have thought twice about categorising her as a weakling, but now it felt like he was looking in a mirror. She had immediately apologised, blushing and stuttering all the way through while avoiding eye-contact and fiddling with her fingers. He accepted it with a simple nod, too worn out to do anything more. Laxus was prepared to let her pass when silver eyes met golden ones and she suddenly stopped to look at him - _truly_ look at him - searching his face as if there was something earily familiar about it. She suddenly frowned and did the last thing he expected.

She slapped him.

Granted, it wasn't a hard slap, but a slap none the less.

"Snap out of it!" She shouted above the drumming music of the club, and then walked away leaving a very confused Laxus gaping like an idiot. It wasn't said with malice or cruelly, but rather with a sense of strong determination and belief. After the initial shock wore off, he stormed out of the club, hot on her heals.

"Oi!" He called out as he spotted her. She hadn't gotten far, but considering how much she was swaying and feeling the walls, he wasn't surprised, "What the hell's your problem?!"

"This dress. My p-problem is this dress, it's too d-damn tight." She told him.

He sighed. "How much did you drink?" He asked seriously.

"Too much." She answered honestly, as she started to waddle away from him.

"You shouldn't have come here alone."

"I wasn't alone."

"Then you should find your friends."

"I have no friends." He was surprised by her answer and by its bitter tone. Now would have been a good moment to let her go her own way - after all they weren't friends and he wasn't responsible for her well-fare - but he found himself following her none the less.

"You should go home-"

"I have no home!" She snapped back at him, tears already forming in her eyes as she whispered painfully, "They knew. They all knew."

Her face was melded into an angry frown, but her eyes told a different story, one of a broken heart that had been shattered, burnt and had its ashes danced on. As tears started to run down her cheeks, Laxus freaked. Laxus, a usually collected and serious man had one fatal weakness, and that was women crying.

"W-wait, don't cry!" Now it was his turn to stutter,"It's going to be okay." He hesitantly held her shoulders, "you're going to be okay, just uuhh...hang in there!"

 _Where's Gramps when you need him!_

As he continued to spurt out clichéd words of comfort she began to calm down, and just when a comfortable silence fell between them,

"Hinata!" They turned to see a blonde girl, facing the other way in front of the Bar's entrance, calling out that name again and again. From how the drunk-girl's face paled, he guessed her to be Hinata. The blonde girl started to turn towards them and to Laxus' utter shock, Hinata yanked his body towards her until she was squashed between Laxus and the wall, hiding her from view.

"Very mature."

"Shh!"

They stayed like that, frozen and unsure on how to proceed, as they heard more and more voices starting to call her name. Then, it occured to him that she was very petite in comparison to his stature. That together with their close proximity and her looking very frightened may lead others to think that his motives with her were...less than innocent.

He gripped her hips, lifting her until they were face to face and then pinning her there with his body, "Wrapp your legs around me. If we don't make this look more convincing people will think I'm forcing myself on you."

He saw her eyes widen for a moment before she did as he told her, pressing him even closer against her. He rested his forehead against hers and pinned her hands above their heads. Their eyes had met once more, for a breif second, before both of them turned away embarrassed. They concentrated on the sounds around them and the warmth that radiated from each other's bodies. Laxus couldn't help but notice how Hinata smelt of lavender and how soft her skin felt beneath his fingertips. Laxus couldn't help himself and let his thump gently stroke the side of her hand. This immediately caused her to blush a darker shade of red and bite her lips, all the while still looking down. For a split second, as he watched her lips redden and plump from the action, he wondered how they would feel against his own.

A stranger's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Excuse me miss," he heard a guy say behind him, "Have you by any chance come across a girl, about this high, wearing a black dress. She has long dark-blue hair and a fringe."

"No, sorry." He heard a second voice reply.

By the desperate look on her face, he could tell she heard it too. They heard footsteps coming towards them and they knew they were running out of options.

 _He wouldn't bother us if he thought we were making out, right?_

Wrong.

When Laxus felt someone pat his shoulder, he decided he had to take it to the next level to scare them off. He was after all past the point of no return with this girl - he might as well see this to the end. He suddenly slammed his lips against hers hard, grinding against her overexaggeratedly. Hinata 'eep'ed and froze in surprise at first but quickly caught on and played along, sliding one hand up his spine while running the other through his thick blonde hair.

"Hey, I was wondering if- Woah!" The red-headed boy immediately backed away.

They continued like that, rhythmically moving their lips and bodies against each other and grabbing desperately at each other's clothes like animals, until they could no longer hear her friends voice. Well to be honest they carried on for a bit longer than that, telling themselves that it was just to be sure that he had gone and not because they were both becoming hotter with every touch.

When they finally did part, their cheeks were flushed and they panted, trying to catch their breaths.

"I think he's gone. I'm sorry about.."

"N-No, don't worry, it was g-good plan." _Well it felt good anyway_ , "I'm sorry I've dragged you into all this."

"S'okay," he looked around, "You see anymore of your 'friends' around."

"No, they must of widened the search."

"How are you going to get home?"

"I'll call a-" her face dropped, "I forgot my purse and phone in the bar." She said sheepishly.

He nodded as he took a step back, not realising that she still had her legs wrapped around his torso. She had begun to slide down him when laxus instinctively caught her with both hands. Unfortunately where his hands were placed were not...ideal shall we say. Hinata had never had her butt even patted before in her life by any man, so as you can imagine having a stranger - a very sexy muscular stranger at that - grope her ass vigorously with both hands caused her to go as red as a tomato. Laxus took longer than he'd like to admit to take his hands off of her, awkwardly heading back towards the entrance. Upon entering the establishment both were attentive to those around them, not wanting to bump into the search party.

"Hello," she addressed the bartender, a bulky middle aged man with a stubly chin, "I left my purse at the bar here and I was wondering if you knew where it's ended up."

"Oh, don't worry miss, you're friends have it. They're looking for you right now." Hinata resisted the urge to slump on the bar stool in front of her in defeat as she thanks the man for his help.

"Come on." Laxus suddenly grabbed her hand, leading her away and towards the car-park.

'W-where are we going?"

"You can crash at my place. I've got a phone there so you can also call your family to tell them that you're okay."

"That's really kind of you, but I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not a bother." He told her simply as he continued to firmly hold her hand.

"Thank you." She whispered quietly, trying to remember wether she had thanked him at all tonight even though he had saved her in more ways than one, "For everything. Not many people would do what you did tonight."

"I'm not an angel Hinata, I'm only human."

By the sad look on his face, she knew if was better to leave it at that and not press for further details. It was, after all, what he did for her.

When they finally stopped, she was surprised to see his car - it was a golden Hyundai Lightening - currently the fastest, rarest and by far the most expensive car on the market. She should know - Hanabi hadn't shut up about this car for months after it had been released.

"Nice ride." She commented.

"I'm thinking of returning it." He didn't know why he just said that, but he heard himself carry on,"It's not really...me." He sounded so corny he wanted to kick himself, but instead he helped her through the butterfly door. Hinata once again didn't press him further and strapped herself in.

The ride wasn't a particularly long one, but the passing headlights and smooth ride had made her drowsy, as if she was a baby being rocked to sleep underneath a flashing mobile. Before either one knew it she was fast asleep.

When they finally made it to his appartment Laxus, not wanting to wake her, had opted to carry her bridal style from his car to his third-floor appartment in a similar fashion to how a man carrys his new bride over the threshold. He easily layed her on his guest room's bed which was already arranged for last minute guests.

Watching Hinata sleep, he wondered why he went so far out of his way to help her. Was it as some sort of attempt at redemption? To make himself feel better? No, he realised, it wasn't for those reasons. It was because it meant he wasn't alone in his sense of emotional defeat. It was also why he offered her his guest room - maybe knowing that she was just a few meters away he might not be plagued by nightmares tonight.

 _I'm not alone_.

It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

After tucking her in and making sure she was comfortable, he decided it would be better to not go to bed not having dinner. As Laxus rummaged through his fridge in search for something to eat, thinking back at the events that unfolded at the bar and the strange girl he was fortunate enough to meet, the image of her blushing face flashed in his mind and he suddenly got a craving for tomatoes.


	2. Chapter 2

When Hinata began to stir, she was very aware of two things. Firstly, her head felt like it had gone through a tumble dryer. Secondly, her bed smelled musky and slightly of camomile.

 _Wait a second...this isn't my bed!_

Hinata shot up, immediately regretting her action when her head started to throb harder.

She groaned as she peeled her eyes open, inspecting her surroundings and trying desperately to regain her memory of last night's activities. The room was moderately large. She was currently laying in a double bed with the entrance door to her left and what looked like a door to an ensuite bathroom in front of her. A single bed side cabinet could be found to the left of the bed and finally a large wardrobe was installed in the far right-hand wall. The walls were painted with a pleasant shade of peach wich matched the wooden floor nicely. What struck her the most was that she had never seen this room before in her life.

 _Think Hinata, think! What happened last night?_

She remembered meeting with her friends - they took her out to a bar to try and loosen up after her break up with Naruto (their relationship crashed and burned after she found him cheeting on her). They were telling her he wasn't worth it and - Oh! Everything came flooding back to her!

 _They knew! They all knew he was cheating..._

It was in her way back from the bathroom she overheard them mention it might not have been a good idea to keep their mouths shut about the affair at the time.

 _Ya think?!_

The moment her eyes locked with Shikamaru's, she fled running as fast as her wobbly legs could take her and so the hunt to find her began. She then remember bumping into a-

 _Oh my God, I slapped a man!_

Hinata covered her face in horror.

 _And then I made out with him, without even knowing his name! Wait!_ Hinata looked around desperately, _If he took me home, then this must be-_

"Glad to see you're awake." A deep husky voice drew her attention to the doorway where her blonde knight-in-shining-armour stood. He approached her, offering her a glass of water and an aspirin which she accepted graciously.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his deep voice soothing her, as he sat beside her on the bed.

"Like shit." She said honestly, though a blush hit her when she heard what she said. He chuckled lightly as he felt her forehead for a temperature. His hand slid down her cheek and she watched as he brushed away an eyelash with a gentleness she didn't expect he'd possess. She knew she was blushing, she just didn't think that when she looked back at him he'd be blushing too.

He cleared his through, obviously embarrassed, "I took out some clothes that you can wear while I air out your dress." He pointed to the shirt and shorts she now noticed hanging from the bedpost, "Sorry. These were the only things of mine that i thought would fit you."

"Y-you don't have to do that. You've already d-done so much."

"It's no problem."

"I d-don't even know your name."

"Laxus Dreyar." Hinata visibly froze. Of course she knew of Laxus Dreyar, _everyone_ in the business world knew of Laxus Dreyar, prodigy grandson of Makarov Dreyar, Heir to Fairy Tail and general intimidating bad-ass.

"I-I'm Hinata Hyuga." His eyebrows raised.

"As in Hiashi Hyuga's eldest daughter?" He knew Hiashi. He was the guy that always looked like he had a stick up his ass.

"Y-yes."

"...I see." He said finally, not really sure of what to say. Of course he knew of her, just as he was sure she knew of him. She was an ex-heiress of a major investment company, who was disowned at the tender age of nine, simply because she wasn't perfect. No one heard anything of her after that. She became a phantom of sorts, appearing at major galas every couple of years (though Laxus always seemed to miss her) and even then she was known to escape outside within an hour of arriving. She had lived her own life, and to be perfectly honest he had a tendency to envy her every now and then. Now, she wasn't a phantom to him anymore, she was very much real, and obviously in just as much emotional pain as he was.

"Do you want to talk about last night? About your...'friends'?"

Her expression suddenly darkened, "They're not my friends anymore."

"Y'know, the more you talk about it, the easier it is to except it and the less it will hurt." It was something his gramps always said. He felt a pang in his chest from the memory but tried to ignore it and focus on the task in hand.

She looked down at her hands while tapping her index fingers together, obviously fighting an internal struggle "My boyfriend," it was barely a whisper but he still heard it, "Months ago, I found out he was cheating on me. My so-called friends comforted me, told me it was an outrage, that they were so sorry and that he was an idiot for cheating on me. They said everything was going to be all right. Last night I found out they knew all along, and yet they said nothing."

They stayed like that for a while, Hinata trying not to burst into tears while Laxus - who was socially awkward in these types of situations anyway - was struggling to find the right words to say. In the end after a long silence, he decided to not say anything at all and instead embrace her in a tight hug. Laxus was never one to be comfortable with touchy-feely gestures of affection, but to be perfectly honest the hug wasn't only for her, it was also for him.

It was when Hinata was changing into Laxus' clothes that a knock was heard from the front door. Curiously, Hinata cracked the bedroom door open and peaked into the hallway. She saw Laxus approach the front door cautiously as if it were Death himself that had knocked. He paused and took a moment to take a deap breath and finally open the door to reveal a short elderly man that looked like he was about to hit something.

"Gramps." Laxus greeted him softly. Hinata's eyes widened at the realisation that this was _the_ Makarov Dreyar.

Makarov, instead of greeting him back, entered and slammed the door behind him.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

His grandson knodded solemnly, saying nothing and staring down at his feet.

"When I first saw the document I couldn't believe what I was reading. I couldn't beleive that my own grandson would ever want to sac his friends, to do something so underhanded, to hurt me in such a way as he knew it would. I know you have this grand vision of a company made up of nothing but honor students and prodigies but I've told you again and again Laxus, Fairy Tail is not a company - it's a family. I endured through the pep-talks, through the intimidation, through your hissy fits but this?" He shook his head, "Not this. You've crossed a line Laxus. I thought you were the person to take over the company but now?...Now I'm not so sure. What I do know for certain is that there is no need for you to come into work tomorrow."

 _No, please not this again. This can't be happening!_ Hinata couldn't bare for anyone to get disowned, especially someone who had done so much for her.

"I didn't sign it." He blurted out, neither grandfather or grandson bringing themselves to look at the other. Unsure of how to reply, Makarov said nothing and simply walked away.

It killed Laxus to watch his grandfather walk out his front door, but he knew he had every right to. He didn't only father Laxus afterall, he fathered all of the Fairy Tail gang and it was his duty to protect his family, even from one of their own. He retired to his room as a broken man with tears threatening to fall, completely forgetting the girl in his guest room.

Hinata knew that she had to stop this.

Being as quiet as possible she went into the hallway and cracked the front door open to see Makarov walking away bruskly. She quickly looked behind her as she slid through the open door in hopes to catch up to him.

"M-Mr Dreyar?"

The elderly man turned around to regard her curiously. His face fell however when he realised she was wearing his grandson's clothes.

"N-no, don't worry! Nothing happened between us. My d-dress is airing out s-so he gave me these to wear." She quickly confirmed.

"Who are you?"

"Hinata Hyuga." She presented herself, extending a hand to the shocked man who took it.

"It's nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you." She knew it was a lie - no one ever heard anything about her after her disownment - but she appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

"Mr Dreyar, please don't disown your grandson."

His face hardened, "After all that he's done do you think he should go unpunished Miss Hyuga?"

"Being disowned isn't a punishment, it's a life sentence. No one deserves that, to feel as if they've suddenly dissapeared and that every time they fall, no matter how hard they plead - no one will help them up."

"It wouldn't be like that."

"It's _always_ like that. Whether you intend it or not. If you love your grandson as much as I know you do - after all you would'nt be this hurt if you didn't - then please, don't do this."

"Then what do you suggest I do?"

"Find out why."

"Find out why? I know why, he thinks his friends are weak, that's why. He wants to be rid of them-"

"Then why didn't he sign the document? Why did he instead go drinking in a bar, alone?"

Makarov was silent.

"I-I don't know." He looked up at this strange girl who seemed naive and innocent while being neither, realising what a massive mistake Hiashi Hyuga had made by casting her away.

"You're more insightful that you look, Miss Hyuga."

"Looks can be deceiving, Mr Dreyar."

He smiled at her - not a toothy one - but a reassuring one nonetheless, "I'll take you're advice into account."

She smiled hopefully, "Thank you."

Hinata was careful to sneak back in, hoping not to draw Laxus' attention, obviously unaware that he had been listening the whole time.

"You shouldn't have said that."

She spun around to find her new friend - if that's what you'd call their new-found relationship - staring down at her intensely.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved."

"I had to."

"Why?"

"So that history isn't repeated."

"It's not the same as what happened to you."

"Of course it's the bloody same!" She snapped, slapping her hand against the wall. She didn't mean to shout at him, after all he had done so much for her, but she wouldn't - no _couldn't_ \- allow someone else to go through what she had to endure.

"Hinata, I know the reasons why you were disowned - they did it because you were not driven or academic enough for the Hyuga standard."

"Because I was weak." She clarified bitterly.

"You didn't do anything to deserve what you got - you were simply a victim of the circumstances you were born in, but I _am_ to blame. I betrayed my friends, my family. I hurt my Gramps after everything he's done for me."

"And you hate yourself for it." She stated and he could only nod, "You're wrong - our situations are the same. The only difference is that while the pressure made you power-obsessed, it made me crumble."

He looked at her in amazement, realising that she may be the very first person to see through the walls he built around him. He accepted that she was right - their situations _were_ very alike. Both of them were victims of their families' legacies, and because of all the words left unsaid and feelings bottled in, both became ghosts of their former selves and a reminder that no-one is more than human.


	3. Chapter 3

As Hinata and Laxus inspected the newly-aired dress, another knock was heard at the door.

"LAXUS OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

He sighed, "Oh great, it's my friends." He felt a pang of guilt. Was he even worthy to call them that anymore? He turned to Hinata to apologise for yet another interruption, only to just catch a glimpse of her as she jumped into his closet and slammed the door behind her.

"Hinata...what are you doing?"

"I'm...hiding in your closet?"

"You sure? You don't seem so certain."

"I-I...I just think I'd better stay in here so I don't put you in another a-awkward position."

"By hiding in my closet?" He couldn't help but be a little bit amused by her antics.

"Yes." This time she said it with more determination.

Another knock was heard, a pause, and then continuous banging.

Deciding to leave her to her own devises, he decided to open his door before it got knocked down.

When he did a pink-haired boy literally fell into his appartment and landed flat onto his face.

"Nice going flame-brain."

On the other side of the threshold were Gray, Erza, Lucy and Happy.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?!" Erza entered the appartment as of she was approaching a battlefield, "Do you have any idea how many times we called, texted and emailed?"

"I've been...a little busy."

"Busy?"

"Come on Laxus, you can do better than that." Gray joked as he pulled Natsu up off the ground.

"Laxus, seriously we were worried about you. You just dissapeared on us!" Lucy said as she helped Gray and Happy with Natsu.

Natsu finally got back on his feet and as always, he had something to say.

"Laxus, how many times do we have to tell you. Fairy tail is family, and family does _not_ make each other worry!" He said as he slammed his hand into the table near the entrance, making a loud bang, then suddenly looked confused.

"Wait!" He whispered, his body frozen as he looked concentrated into the distance.

"What?" Lucy asked, looking around.

"I heard a sound."

"You mean the one you just made by slamming your hand on wood?"

"No it was like a...'eep'."

"'Eep'?"

"Yeah, you know that really cute sound girls in movies make when they get scared or surprised."

"Oh, _that_ 'eep'!"

And then it dawned on Laxus exactly who made that sound. Before he could do or say anything to avert this crisis, Natsu, having an incredible sense of hearing, was already in his bedroom and staring at his closet.

"Dude, I think your closet's alive." Natsu whispered to him.

"Why is there a dress on the bed?" Lucy pondered aloud, starting to slowly put the pieces together.

 _This is not looking good._

Of course Erza, being Erza, decided to cut to the chase and swing the closet door open forcefully and to everyone's surprise and Laxus' dread, Hyuga Hinata fell out the closet haphazardly like a young bird in flight, landing right in front of the fairy tail gang.

 _I-I should have just gone out the window!_

"Laxus, why are you hiding women in your closet?!"

"And they say I'm a pervert." Gray couldn't help but smirk.

"It's only one woman."

"That doesn't make this any better."

"What if I told you she got in voluntarily?"

"That just raises more questions than it answers!" Lucy scolded him.

"P-please." Hinata said, being helped up by Laxus, " D-don't be mad at Laxus. The whole c-closet thing really was m-my idea."

"You mean you wanted this?" Natsu said surprised and then turned to Laxus, "Dude, what kind of women are you into?"

"Hey, leave Hinata out of this." He said sternly.

"N-no, I hid in there b-because I didn't w-want to put him in an e-embarrassing situation infront of all of you." She looked down embarrassed, "b-but I guess I did that anyway."

"I-I'll give you all some privacy." She just managed to make it out the door when her escape was cut short.

"No, not yet." Erza pulled her back in, much to her dismay. She turned to Laxus, "We know about the contract," Laxus looked away, ashamed,"we also know that you didn't sign it."

"We've asked Makarov to not kick you out."

Laxus looked bewildered, "W-what...Why?"

"Cause you're still family, you Baka!"

"Though we had nothing to worry about - seems like someone had already convinced him to give you a more lenient sentence."

All eyes turned to the blushing girl dressed in Laxus' clothing.

"I-I just told him that m-maybe a harsh punishment may do m-more harm than good."

"Oh, come on, it must have been more than that."

"Spill!"

"Leave her be."

"N-no, it's okay." Hinata took a deep breath-she was not used to such social situations _Don't faint, don't faint, don't faint..._ "When I was younger, I was disowned by my father. I didn't have much confidence and my grades weren't very good, so he thought that if he disowned me it would drive me to become...better." She said with a lack of a better word, "He was wrong. I just didn't want Dreyar-San to make the same mistake."

Lucy looked at her sympathetically, "We're really sorry Hina-"

"What kind of bastard does that?!"

"Natsu, don't say that!"

"Hate to say it but Natsu's right." Gray agreed.

"N-no, it's okay now. Otou-San realised he was wrong and has apologised for it. I-it's all alright."

"Hinata!" Erza - who seemed to not have heard Hinata's last remark - shouted intensely, gripping both her shoulders dramatically, "Hang in there. You will rise victoriously."

"Aye sir!"

Just as Hinata thought she was going to faint, she felt Laxus' two strong hands gripping her shoulders, anchoring her.

"That's enough." He said firmly, "She's had a long night."

His friends blushed and sniggered at the implication.

"I-I-It wasn't l-like that!"

"Not like that you perverts!" They said simultaneously.

"If you say so." Lucy said teasingly. In return Laxus gave her one of most intimidating gazes which, unfortunately for him, she was already immune to.

"He l-l-l-l-likes you." Happy whispered to Hinata, making her blush reder than Erza's hair.

"N-no, it really wasn't like that! Laxus was kind enough to hide me from some...friends."

"Why do you need to hide from friends?"

"That's enough-"

"Did they hurt you?" Erza said, again going into her scary overprotective mode.

She froze. Of course they had, but she had already troubled them with her problems enough, so instead she just smiled and said, "Don't worry, it wasn't that bad, just embarrassing."

In that moment Laxus gave her look as if to say 'as if', something which obviously did not go unnoticed by the fairy tail gang.

"W-what exactly did your friends do?"

"O-oh, w-well..." When they all stared at her intensely and she broke under pressure, "They knew my b-boyfriend was cheating on me..." She began, twiddling her fingers, "...and they said nothing. B-but really it's okay, I feel b-better about-"

"LET ME AT THEM!" They all immediately jumped on Natsu to restrain him, even Laxus.

"Natsu, you know what Gramps said! We can't afford to repay anymore damage!"

"Who the fuck keeps quiet about something like that?" He said desperately trying to escape the blanket of bodies holding him down.

"Natsu-San, please stop." Hinata said gently and he did, "You're v-very kind but they're not worth it. Really."

"They do deserve it though, you've got to be honest."

"The ice-princess is right."

"Oi, I was defending you flame-brain!"

"Hinata!" Erza struck a dramatic pose, "If you ever need to escape, run to Fair Tail - the bar is always open!"

"Aye sir!"

"Truthfully." Lucy told her as she and the bluenette helped everyone up, "you're always welcome."

She felt a hand on her sholder and looked up to the burly blond man who it belonged to. Laxus, obviously a man of few words, simply gave her a determined nod, but afterall that was all that was needed.

Five bottles of rum, an arm-restling competition and a karyoki sing-a-long later, the fairy tail gang had left. Laxus saw them off, only returning back into the flat to his blue-haired guest when he was sure his eyes weren't tearing up anymore - he did have a reputation to maintain afterall.

When he finally did re-enter, he found Hinata staring meaningfully at a picture he had hung up the hallway - one of his gramps and a five-year-old him at the beach. His gramps had his arm around him and both were smiling cheerfully at the camera. From the look in her eyes, he was willing to bet she had one just like it. He moved silently to her side.

"You looked so happy." She said.

"I was - very happy."

"How do you think our lives would have turned out, if you weren't the heir and I wasn't the heiress?"

"I don't know," he told her honestly, "More straight forward? Easier probably."

She nodded in agreement, "I guess sometimes it's just not meant to be."

"Thank you again for driving me to my father's house." She said as he parked out front.

"Not a problem. Here," he said handing her his coat, "You might want to wear this. Your old man would probably have a fit seeing you in that dress."

She blushed as she took it, "B-but you've already done so much."

"So have you."

They gazed at each other, smiling, until both looked away embarrassed.

"I can drop it off at your flat, next week?"

"How about over coffee?"

She blushed, "I-I would like that." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you Laxus, for everything."

When Hiashi answered the door, expecting his delivery of a book he recently ordered, he hadn't expected to come face-to-face with his daughter who was dressed in a mysterious coat that looked two sizes two big and the biggest smile he'd yet to see on her.

"Hinata?"

"Hello, Otou-San! Sorry for making you come let me in, but Neji has my keys so I can't go home yet." She said cheerfully without a single stutter as she entered the house.

"Yes, I heard about that. Apparently you fled and they've been looking desperately for you ever since."

"I ran into a friend and he was kind enough to let me crash at his place." She said, looking distracted by her own thoughts.

"I see," he said, knowing of the reason she ran off.

 _I never did like that Uzumaki kid._

"This friend of yours, do I know him?"

"You know _of_ him."

"His name?"

"Laxus Dreyar."

"W-what?" Hiashi was genuinely surprised. He knew of the young heir, as did everyone in the business world. He may of been stuck up but he sure knew his way around business strategies. Hinata walked away, still in her own little world. Hiashi knew that look she had, only too well.

 _Laxus Dreyar, huh? Definitely a better son-in-law than Naruto Uzumaki._


End file.
